funny stories from snwmf

over the years I have heard some hilarious stories about about snwmf experiences...anyone wish to share?

one year I dropped my crews' only set of car keys into a portopotty...our car we were all camping out of...so i triple bagged my arm and managed to fish em out after psyching myself out....luckily it was on day one so to potty wasnt too full. lol......

I was on my way out of the fest friday night, late, at Angel's Camp in 2004 or 2005 (I was staying in a hotel in Sonora that year), and in the middle of the road at the fairgrounds there, there was a naked man lying in the street, in a fetal position, clearly tripping balls on some psychadelics! I got out of my car to help him, and with the assistance of some SNWMF volunteers, we helped him to the first aid tent...true story!

My second year was on a Father's Day so my wife and cousins coupled for the dads in family camp. One of my cousins and I walked over to the other camp which is non family and we called Babylon after that trip. We saw several naked tripping people that were clearly up all night and one guy selling everything he had in his car including the car itself to get back home I presume. It made no sense to us and we haven't gone back in almost 10 years. We still talk and laugh about that every year we go. We tell our kids to stay away from Babylon!

a few years ago, as we were leaving late Monday morning after the fest, i wanted to use the porta potty before we hit the road back home. mind you, this is porta potty business after the full fest...yikes.

i noticed a healthy looking pot seed on the ground but was too grossed out to pick it up. then i reminded myself that i was wasn't just in any porta potty, i was in a mendocino county porta potty. i figured there was a great chance it was from some kind herb, so i mentally gathered myself, and with the help of some toilet paper i picked the seed up, kept it wrapped in my pocket and we brought it home.

no lie, that seed turned out to be female and produced some of the sweetest tasting herb that we have grown in all our years of doing such. when friends would ask us what strain it was, we just told them it was called "sierra nevada honey bucket" -- and then of course told them it was the sh!t.

As a local area teacher, I always have fun going to SNWMF incognito. My Boston cap, shorts, Vans, and shades is a far different reality from my everyday shirt and tie while I teach. It's become a "where's Mr.B?" game for the students.

Back at Angel's Camp in 2004 my wife and kids were having an amazing, but long, day seeing Alton Ellis, Don Carlos, I Vibes, Gentleman, and Midnite. As the sun went down we were all chanting "Live the life you love. Love the life you live" as we settled back into our spot in the main bowl, anxiously awaiting Mr Winston Rodney aka the Burning Spear.

I was primed, my wife was willing, and our young daughters were happy, but starting to fade. Determined, we stuck it out. After all, it was Burning Spear. After a while the set break was getting long and the youngest (about 2 yo, and out of diapers) crawled into my wife's lap and started to fall asleep.

My wife and I looked at each other, knowing that we were at the point of going, or staying. And we stayed. It was Burning Spear.

And the music started. And my daughter peed, completely soaking my wife through. And it was over. Crying kid, uncomfortable wife, no choice but to head back to camp at New Melones.

We chuckled as we headed down the hill, disappointed, but singing: "Live the life you love. Love the life you live."
I could hear the Spear's congas on the wind, miles away, as I swung in my hammock under the oaks, humming Midnite to myself.

Back in 2000 in Marysville I made some wicked cannabis rice crispie treats. My wife at the time got so messed up she spent a whole half a day into the night intermittently tripping and passed out under our blanket in the bowl and would not surface. She swore from that day on she'd never come to another fest.

I remember 2002 in Angels Camp my crew had an RV and parked next to us was a crew from Portland, OR that had a plan to have 200 naked women wrestling in jello as their contribution to Burning Man that year. Some pretty funny stories out of that camp.

Back in 04 at Angels Camp I had this ridiculous Lavender strain of herb that I broke off to Pressure. He chased me around the rest of the festival trying get more from me.

I'm sure I have more, but those were three I could remember off the top of my head.

One year I made these mini brownies that were just SO good but pretty strong. They tasted amazing, were only about an inch big, so I figured I'd keep snacking on them throughout the day. I realized at about 11pm I ate way too many and tried to go back to camp to sleep it off. So I'm laying there in bed and all I can think about is a naan wrap from the indian food vendor. So, in my pajamas I make my way to the vendor and buy the food, and by the time I get back to camp I'm just so sleepy that I fall asleep in our lounge chair and wake up in the morning with a completely uneaten naan wrap in my hands, practically using it as a pillow. Haha. Everyone thought it was so funny.

One year we were staying in a motel in Yuba City across the bridge from the Marysville festival. Lots of reggae artists on the billing were also staying there. About 2am in the morning, someone starts loudly knocking on our door: " Bubbler, you in there, its Mary, let me in " Wrong room I replied.

Next morning when I went to check out we had a big breakfast bill charged to our room...signed by the Bubbler!

QuoteRhythmwize
One year we were staying in a motel in Yuba City across the bridge from the Marysville festival. Lots of reggae artists on the billing were also staying there. About 2am in the morning, someone starts loudly knocking on our door: " Bubbler, you in there, its Mary, let me in " Wrong room I replied.

Next morning when I went to check out we had a big breakfast bill charged to our room...signed by the Bubbler!

yeah.. in the reggae world the cocksman flex is always on time.. always consistent..
honoring contractual terms not so much..

Every year we experience endless laughs from SNWMF. One specific memory is kid-friendly. As we loaded our camping gear and food into a Honda CRV, I sat in the driver seat reviewing our check off list. (I also had in mind *stop in San Jose to pick up our rental RV *Stop in SF to pick our college daughter *Stop to get a quick coffee.) As soon as all 3 boys were in the car ready for our adventure, I drove off our drive way.
NO ONE SHUT THE BACK DOOR! All of our food goes flying into our street! Pillows, fruit, drinks, utensils, etc are sprinkled throughout. AHHHHH! squeals a 12 year old boy whose voice is changing due to puberty. I cant do anything but LMAO!
Mind you, its a Friday morning, neighbors are going to work. They are watching us run around picking up our crap. We just threw it in and drove off. We still laugh at the "girly" scream that came from D that morning. That's just 1 memory! Cant wait for more!

A number of years ago at Calavaras Fair grounds I was in the photo pit. I noticed that the stage seemed lower than the night before.I was trying to get some shots of Mutabaruka who was emceeing. I noticed when he walked across the stage and moved about that the stage was sinking into the ground! He must have felt it because he started looking around and moving his feet up and down and then left the stage. A little while later the stage was almost to the ground. Oh whoops....
somebody forgot to secure the stage. It had been placed right on top of some VERY soft dirt..........